Darling - Cedric Diggory

7

"Are you sure I look okay?" I question Fred who is sat on his bed, not taking my eyes away form the mirror.

I had relatively natural makeup that accentuates my features paired with a glossy lip. My dark brown waves lie loosely with two front sections secured in small plaits to keep them out of my face. A lilac summer dress paired with white trainers and silver jewellery.

"You look great Emmie," he assures me "You best get going or you'll be late," he adds

"Okay. Just a first date I can do this,"

"You've done it before," he grins

"Yeah but not with Cedric,"

"Well it wouldn't be a first date if you'd been on a date with him before," he shrugs "right I'm kicking you out now before your late," he states. I nod and head downstairs and out the front door, everybody else is handing in the back garden

"Be back by midnight or I'm sending a search party!" He calls out after me making me laugh

*

I arrive at the park to see Cedric leaning up against the gate

"Well don't you look beautiful," he calls out

"I could say the same," I grin reaching him

"And quite the charmer" he beams down at me

"I'm a catch,"

"Oh I know that Black," he smiles "c'mon," he grins, grabbing my hand and leading me away front the park and into the meadow behind it. We walk in a comfortable silence to a large oak tree. A picnic is set up underneath complete with fairy lights and a record player playing gentle music.

"You did all this?" I question, shocked, taking in the beautiful setting

"Only get one shot at a first date with the prettiest girl in school. Like you said you're quite the catch. Didn't want to fuck it up," he admits scratching the back of his neck. I can't help the grin on my face as I lean up to press a kiss to his cheek.

"It's perfect," I grin. "So, an ice cream shop?" I question sitting down on the blanket as he sits next to me

"It's alright, not too hard and pays alright. Lindsey is like torture though," he groans opening the picnic up and pulling food out to set it out in front us, chucking when I make a quick grab for a sausage roll

"Lindsey?" I question taking a bite of the snack he knows I love

"The girl I was working with,"

"Yknow Diggory, this is the first time I've heard you speak badly on anyone,"

"She can't take a hint, I'm pretty clueless when it comes to girls flirting, I always think they're just being friendly, but she's so obvious even I notice it. I keep telling her I'm not interested and she just won't listen,"

"Can't blame her," I grin making him laugh

"Yes well I like when you flirt with me,"

"Well I'm glad," I smile

"I believe you were just about to tell me about Italy before we were rudely disrupted yesterday," he prompts

"Oh Ced, it was beautiful, warm but not too hot, it all just looked like a post card, we stayed in this big villa on the side of Lake Como. It was perfect. The water was so clear in the lake and the pool looked out over the view. We had barbecues every night and pizza from little stands for lunch. Ice cream every afternoon from this one shop down the road from our villa,"

"Sound amazing," he grins reaching for the chocolate covered strawberries

"Yeah it was, I'd love to go back,"

"We can go one day," he grins popping the strawberry into his mouth

"I'd love that," I smile back unable to stop myself from blushing under his intense yet adoring gaze.

"I would too. So tell me how are the twins?"

"Same as ever. We have some pranks planned for next term so watch your back," I joke

"Oh like you'd let any harm come to me," he grins

"Harm? No. The portable swamps we've finally worked out how to pull off? Maybe,"

"Portable swamp?" He questions confused

"All in good time," I wink "so how is poor Ben doing?"

"To be honest awful. He's heart broken. Wood picked her up from the air port which was a serious case of salt in the wound," he shrugs.

The rest of the evening passes pleasantly. We laugh and talk as we watch the sunset and enjoy the picnic. He walks me back to the burrow for a moment I think he's going to kiss me but the moment is effectively ruined when Fred, George and Ginny burst round from the side of the house laughing amongst themselves and the twins are quick to approach Cedric to catch up for which I whine at them for after.

The twins and I go for ice cream at the shop he works at the next day and he takes his break to sit with us. They exit leaving us to say goodbye as I won't be seeing him again until September but the nearly kiss is interrupted by Lindsey who shoves through us to wipe down the table we were just sat at ruining the moment.

Once me and Harry return home summer seems to fly by. Nights in watching movies with my dad, days out to the beach or a theme park with Dad, uncle Remus and the potters, Quidditch in the garden when the twins visit, dinner at my grandparents (the potters). The girls sleepover filled with boy talk and dancing to my dads records after too much fire whiskey, baking with Harry, Auntie Lil teaching me to cook, a massive water fight. Everything is pure bliss only made better by the news Mr Weasley had managed to secure tickets for the quidditch World Cup. Cedric and his father, who luckily takes an immediate liking to me, are there although we barely get two seconds alone with the large group we are with. My dad and James come with us and practically gate keep me from poor Cedric who receives many a dirty look from my dad but a few words of condor from James.

My OWLs come back with all O's and one E, along with it news I had made Quidditch captain as Wood has graduated last year. He also wrote a letter of congratulations with a promise to be at my first game. Dad and James seemed to be over the moon with me making captain meanwhile Lily and Remus praised me constantly for my impressive grades.

We meet up with the Weasleys to buy our Hogwarts stuff and dad treats me too a beautiful new bracelet in congratulations for both my grades and making captain (though he says it's mainly my newfound captaincy).

Uncle Regulus comes for a few dinners making dad happier than he cares to admit.

The night before we go back to school Lily prepares a large dinner and then night is full of laughter and love. And a lot of teasing about the extensive letters Cedric and I have written to each other over only three weeks.

It couldn't have been a better summer.